


The Way They Said ‘I Love You’

by Sir_Arghs_III



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: F/M, alternate title: mairu through the years, it's apparently fun to work on lol, using the trope of naru leaving for 2 years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23510674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Arghs_III/pseuds/Sir_Arghs_III
Summary: Thirty-five chances. Thirty-five ways to say it. But then again, they were never really good with words. Around 2.5 years post-canon.A collection of connected oneshots that tell a bigger story, based on theprompt listof the same title by Tumblr user mottainaiiii.
Relationships: Oliver Davis/Taniyama Mai
Comments: 14
Kudos: 29





	1. As a hello

Noll passed through the arrivals gate of Narita. It was just past 2:45 AM on a less busy day, so the airport wasn’t as crowded as he’d dreaded. Nonetheless, the passengers who _were_ there turned to stare, and even if he disregarded them he couldn’t ignore the growing weariness from the long flight and unwanted attention. He wanted nothing more than to check into his room, take a rest, and get right into work. Without Lin’s intuitive assistance, he’d have to do everything on his own for the meantime.

The office was the first issue. He was two years out of contract as a tenant of that office in Dougenzaka; it was unlikely that it would still be for lease. The offices at the top of his prepared list, too, for that matter; he doubted any building in a reasonably strategic and easily accessible location would luckily stay vacant for his convenience.

The staff was a whole other issue. Lin’s arrival with the equipment wasn’t for another month, which meant that recruitment fell solely upon Noll. New investigators. New receptionist and clerks. Different set of psychics who were experts in their fields for consultation. All of them ideally ready for operation by the end of the month.

His former employees, he’d long decided, were out of the question. He might not understand human nature as well as his brother had, but even he knew better than consider reconnecting with them after years of nothing from him.

Now that he’d made a mental list of his tasks, he couldn’t help but feel daunted by the amount of work he needed to accomplish before he could so much as start what he’d come back here to do.

And he began to wonder: Had he underestimated the difficulty of his endeavor?

For the first time since he announced his intention to return to Japan, the doubt he’d been pushing aside finally overcame his resolve, and he stood amidst the rush of the airport, stuck between pushing through and pulling back.

“Naru!”

Noll frowned. It seemed like being back in Japan evoked some memories from his previous stay. He resumed walking, picking up his pace as he approached the exit. He had no time for any semblance of nostalgia.

“Naru! Wait up, you idiot!” The voice cut through the din in the airport, high-pitched, familiar, clear, and very much real. He turned towards its source—and halted.

Two years without contact, yet here she was, two years grown and different but still unmistakably her. Still with that same, bright smile.

He could only stare in surprise and confusion.

“—Mai,” he managed to say after a long while.

“Yup, that’s me.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well,” Mai drawled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Someone told me you’d be returning, so I thought I’d catch you off-guard for once.” Then she grinned cheekily at him. “So. Were you surprised?”

Noll fought down the amused quirk of his lips before answering, “I’d be more surprised if you’d thought to ask the others—” She laughed, and he narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Oh, Naru,” she said as she caught her breath, “You’re in for a _shock_!”

“You think?” This time, he let a small smile escape him, relieved and thankful and secretly proud of her for thinking ahead. They fell into step, heading for the exit in comfortable silence.

“By the way, Naru?” Mai began after a while. She looked up at him, her gaze soft and—dare he say it?—almost fond. He stared once more as he waited for her next words. “Welcome back.”

His weariness faded, as if she had chanted a spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading TWTSILY. Please tell me what you think! ^u^ I'll be posting this on FFN, too, for readers who prefer it over AO3. See you on either platform!


	2. Through a song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For enhanced experience, please read while listening to Adele's 'Chasing Pavements'.

Standing just outside Shibuya Psychic Research, Noll frowned.

A song with a catchy and repetitive electronic tune permeated through the door’s frosted glass. Why was there music playing in an _office_?

He opened the door.

_“‘Te wo nobashite mo mou todokanai~!’”_

The singers reached a particularly high note that grated on his nerves, forcing him to take refuge in the kitchenette and wait for the song to end.

_Perfect star~!_

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he half-leaned against the counter. Lin still had some business to attend to in England and wasn’t due to fly until the end of the week. That meant that until he and the equipment get here, the most that could be done was take requests for future follow-up.

_Perfect star~!_

But for some reason, Mai seemed to think that Lin’s absence gave her free reign over the office.

Two more reiterations, and the song, to his relief, finally faded out.

Noll quickly composed his reprimand, intending to deliver it during the silence between songs. He walked into the reception area.

_“‘I’ve made up my mind…’”_

The sight of Mai stopped him in his tracks.

Elbows propped on the open window and hair blown back by a breeze, she was singing out to the mid-morning streets. Her voice, clear though slightly breathy, had an open, honest timbre that made him hang onto her words…

_“‘But if I tell the world, I’ll never say enough ‘cause it was not said to you…_

_“‘And that’s exactly what I need to do if I’d end up with you.’”_

…Was his initial thought. Until she grabbed the mop beside her, singing passionately to it as one would to a microphone. Then she was gesturing wildly. And now she proceeded to mop the floor, singing along all the while.

Noll watched the scene before him, frozen and astounded at the sheer absurdity of it. He couldn’t recall doing anything in the recent past to deserve witnessing something so foolish. He felt the urge to do something, but he wasn’t sure whether to return to the kitchenette and risk being caught in his escape, to stay in place unseen and save Mai the embarrassment, or to save them both the awkwardness and stop her now. As he decided on what he should do, Mai sang on.

_“‘I build myself up and fly around in circles, waiting as my heart drops and my back begins to tingle…’”_

Still using the mop’s handle as a microphone, Mai circled the reception area. She dedicated the lyrics to this bookshelf and gestured to a settee, slid a hand along her desk and mopped the floor again, then walked back to the window. It almost amused Noll how great a time she was obviously having, acting like a songstress among her audience.

If only this wasn’t an office. During its business hours.

He sighed. One more week.

The song dipped. Mai dropped all her silly gesturing and acting, catching his attention.

_“‘Oh would it be a waste, even if I knew my place?_

_“‘Should I leave it there? Should I give up?’”_

Noll was struck with the feeling that he was intruding on a personal moment, and he moved to return to the kitchenette.

But Mai turned, her intent gaze instantly finding him and holding him in place, as if she’d been aware of his presence this whole time. She mouthed the lyrics in time with the song.

_Oh, would it be a waste, even if I knew my place? Should I leave it there?_

_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere?_

A gust of wind swept past her, blowing sakura petals into the room. She turned to close the window.

In the silence that ensued he realized that the song was in English, and that Mai had just sung it in perfect diction.

And it finally sank in just how long he’d been gone.

Free to completely immerse himself in his research, his two years had passed by in a blur of investigations, data analyses, and scientific papers. But only now was he learning that the same amount of time hadn’t passed by as unchangingly for everyone else in SPR’s Japan branch.

Intuitively, he understood that that was the rational, natural course of this world. Time governed all things, dragging them into the future day by day, giving them no choice other than to move forward with it regardless—or in spite of—their past. He understood that under time’s rule, nothing stayed unchanged.

But perhaps the familiar way everyone acted and treated him had blinded Noll to the extent of change two years had imposed on them all, leaving him as disoriented as he now was.

Because as he recalled, Mai had always been dismal at English.

And yet she had sung fluently just now.

She had never looked at him that way.

And yet—

Noll headed straight for his office, firmly closing the door behind him before the next song played.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll try to update every 1-1.5 weeks. ^u^ Hope you're all safe and healthy in your homes! Stay strong; even amidst difficulty, this too shall pass.
> 
> "'Te wo nobashite mo mou todokanai~!'" = "'Even if my outstretched hands can no longer reach you~!'" (Translation by perfume_city.com; unfortunately, the site no longer exists, but it had the best translation so I'm still using it.)
> 
> I don't own Perfume's 'Perfect Star Perfect Style' or Adele's 'Chasing Pavements'.


	3. Over her shoulder

Noll leaned back in his chair. As usual, the amount of data they’d gathered here in Japan was phenomenal. The last case alone provided quite a number of compelling footage and images. But they only made the integration of evidence into one neat conclusion all the more difficult.

He heaved a tired sigh. An hour of staring at a blank word processor, he concluded, was a strong indication for a break. He stepped out of his office to refresh his mind.

Mai peered at him over the stacks of new books and journals on her desk. “Writer’s block?” she sagely asked, to his surprise. She chuckled and took a short trip to the kitchenette.

When she returned to find him still frozen by his office door, she said, “Don’t look so surprised. I know I’m on the stupid side of the spectrum, but I’ve been working on that these past two years. I’d like to think I improved a bit.” She handed him the cup of tea and walked back to her desk.

“After all,” she continued amicably as she sorted the reference materials into their proper shelves, “I got into a good university, learned more about exorcism from three different religions, read a lot about parapsychology, and made sense of everything I experienced with SPR in twenty-twenty hindsight…”

Noll settled on the settee, deciding to watch Mai work around the reception area. Having spent most of the day in silence, he found her friendly chatter a welcome reprieve.

“…which means that I had two whole years to realize a lot of things.

“For one, I realized that you showed your kindness in the most convenient way: secretly. That way, barely anyone would notice it, and because you’re aloof by nature nobody would immediately associate kindness with you. So they won’t expect it to come from _Naru_ of all people. It would be very bothersome for you otherwise, wouldn’t it?” She glanced at him but went right back to her sorting tasks, obviously not expecting him to respond. He reckoned she didn’t need him to affirm something she considered was true. Rightly so.

“Next, I finally managed to decipher many of your blank expressions.”

This piqued his interest. “That’s a bold claim,” he tonelessly commented. He kept his face devoid of any expression to test her.

Mai turned to him with a confident gleam in her eyes. “I just read your expression a while ago, didn’t I?”

“You could have deduced ‘writer’s block’ easily. I’ve been in my office for hours on end. After a certain point I’d surely have started to get exhausted and then decide to step out.”

“Says the person who was cooped up in that same office for a whole day last week.”

“How can you be sure I’ve been writing my paper that day?”

She regarded him with a disbelieving look. “Because I brought you lunch and countless cups of tea.”

“I may have been working on another document then.”

“You think I don’t know how to read?”

“So you were reading without permission?” Though he looked expressionlessly at her, he was stifling his rising amusement with much effort. He waited for her outburst.

Instead, peals of laughter escaped her. “Now you’re just messing with me. You’re obviously so amused right now!”

He failed to mask his shocked expression this time.

“Told you I can do it!” she proclaimed triumphantly. Grinning, she shelved the last stack of reference materials. “When deep in thought, using a bit of psychometry, concentrating, or listening to info you deem important, you tend to focus your gaze downward. When trying to scrutinize someone, you stare intensely until they lose their composure and yield. When you’d rather not deal with a situation or person, you look away. When you’re interested or amused, your eyes shine a little bit.

“Since you were about to bore holes into the floor when you left your office, I figured you’d hit a wall in your writing.”

Unable to refute her observations, he sighed in surrender. It wasn’t like he was hiding his thoughts; exercising his facial muscles just seemed too much of a hassle to him. Nonetheless, he always found it uncanny whenever someone managed to read him so easily. “How terrifying.”

“Is it?” She chuckled again. “I guess it is, huh. Once I looked at things retrospectively, I had no trouble seeing everything with objectivity. And I’ve been given two years to think about it—that’s enough time to understand Lin-san, Mori-san, Gene, and most of all, you. The actions each of you took, decisions you made, words you said…” Mai sent him a soft smile over her shoulder. “You gave me that time, Naru, so don’t blame me if I know you as much as I do now.”

A twinge in his chest caused his heart to miss a beat and his lungs to arrest his breathing. Mai’s eyes were warm and meaning, deep with unsaid words and unexpressed thoughts.

Noll was overcome by an odd certainty that he could fathom them all if he could just take a longer, closer look.

As he moved to do just that, he felt the shifting liquid of the teacup in his hand. His gaze dropped to his tea. A reflection swirled in the reddish brown liquid. Of his or Gene’s he was unsure.

But he couldn’t bring himself to look away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ^u^ Stay safe and strong!


	4. Over a beer bottle

Noll’s phone rang.

As he was a light sleeper, it only took three rings before he awoke and reached for it on the bedside table.

He’d never planned on keeping a mobile phone while in Japan; he’d reported his stay as indefinite, after all, so opening and maintaining a personal line served no purpose to him. Any business that needed his attention could go through the telephone in the office or be emailed directly to him; he could get to it just as quickly.

_“But what about emergencies, Noll?”_ Luella had reasoned, her face lined with worry. _“On your side or ours?”_ Beside her, Martin silently nodded his agreement. _“Please get a phone, dear, for our peace of mind.”_

So he did. A phone for emergencies containing just ten contacts.

The screen flashed: Taniyama Mai calling at 1:18 AM. He furrowed his brows.

“Mai. I assume this is an emergency, given that this line is specifically for that.”

_“Tha’s right, Naru,”_ she replied, the seriousness in her tone obtunded by her slurring words. _“This an emergency.”_

Harsh whispering in the background that sounded like _“Oi, jou-chan! Hang up now!”_ made it through the line.

_“What?”_ Mai attempted to whisper back but ended up raising her voice. _“No! I’m talking to him, be quiet!”_

A gentler whisper this time, in Matsuzaki-san’s voice: _“Mai, why don’t you drink some water—”_ , followed by another _“No!”_ by Mai.

Noll had already repositioned the phone to hang up when Mai called out again. _“Naru? Are you still there?”_

He refrained from answering, hoping she would give up.

_“Ne, Naruuuu!”_

He sighed. “I’m unfortunately still here.” He lay back down on his bed.

_“Good,”_ she said over the coaxing whispers of the other members of SPR. _“Because now that am ‘bout to switch to another track completely—hic—I wantchu to know that ya derailed m’life.”_

The hushed pleas to Mai on the other end instantly stopped. Noll, too, was too taken aback to reply; he could only wait for Mai to elaborate.

_“You shee, m’life was a one-track train. Ah knew my—hic—stations, ah knew where ah end up eventually._

_“But then ah broke ya camera and ya… ya hired me and just like that ya pulled a lever and suddenly m’track was leading me through—hic—dark tunnel where ah dunno anything and ah lost all me stations and me final stop.”_ She paused then—to finally follow Matsuzaki-san’s advice, it seemed.

In the short silence that ensued, Noll realized the magnitude of the consequences of his actions. He hadn’t thought much about hiring Mai back then; it had just happened that he and Lin needed extra hands, some orphan like him who was trying to get through life on her own had injured Lin, and he had excess funding. He’d thought that everything would end the moment he found Gene’s murderer, and Mai and everyone associated with Shibuya Psychic Research would move on, just as he would return to his research back home.

Obviously, he was wrong, as he usually was when it came to emotions and human nature. Now he was learning that Mai’s life had permanently and drastically changed because of him. He didn’t know how to process that fact yet, or the fact that it bothered him now.

_“Ya know what ah found tho?”_ Mai spoke again, her words increasingly garbled. _“Ah found erryone. An’ ah found errything ahm pashnate for. So thank ya. Thanks for compleeeetely derailing m’life.”_ She took a deep, audible breath. _“Ah also want ya t’know, Oliver Davis…”_

Upon hearing his name, Noll listened attentively for her next words. But instead, he heard sudden commotion from the other end—someone cursing, Mai’s muffled struggles against someone presumably covering her mouth, and someone sounding suspiciously like Yasuhara saying, _“John, the phone!”_

A click. Then silence.

Noll replaced his phone on the bedside table, relieved and confused at the same time.

He didn’t ruin Mai’s life, but… What was she about to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ^u^ Hope you're all safe. 
> 
> Btw, last weekend was the Ghost Hunt Fanworks Weekend. You might want to check out the amazing fics and art on [Ghost Hunt HQ's Tumblr](https://ghosthunthq.tumblr.com/tagged/GHW2020).


	5. Not said to him

**August 14th, 3 Years Ago**

" _I loved his beautiful smile." Mai's voice trembled; Noll knew she was about to cry again._

" _I see." He couldn't bring himself to look at her. Her tears, her words, the expressions on her face right now… they were all for Gene. Even if they looked almost identical, Noll was_ not _his brother. So he kept his eyes trained on anything but her._

" _It was really, really beautiful," she breathed out._

_He could hear the smile, the wonder in her voice. His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists._

_Gene was a fool even as a spirit. How could he let Mai fall in love with him then lead her to believe that he was_ Noll _? Didn't that idiot foresee this very scenario happening?_

_Now the burden rested on Noll, the living twin, of making sure that Mai would never mistake him for his dead older brother again. To accomplish that, he must remind himself that he could never be like Gene. He must not allow himself to ever be like Gene._

" _Yeah—"_

_His chest tightened._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading/leaving kudos/commenting! Hope you're all alright! Please bear with me and these short chapters. I included this one to explore how Naru felt during that awkward confession/moment with Mai. I have a few much longer chapters down the line, promise. TTnTT


	6. With a shuddering gasp

_It'll be fine, Mai._

"…Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty."

_You trained for this. Got certified specifically for this._

Head tilt-chin lift.

_And the ambulance is en route._

Rescue breathing: first rescue breath. Naru's chest rose. Second rescue breath.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. I threw a wish in the well. Don't ask me I'll never tell…" Mai hummed to keep the beat. "…Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty."

Head tilt-chin lift.

First rescue breath. Second rescue breath.

She maintained the pacing, cycle after cycle.

Back when she was training to get certified for occupational first aid, her trainers had enumerated only four valid reasons to stop CPR: when the ambulance arrives, when the person wakes up, when the first responder can no longer continue, or when the person shows signs of death.

Mai heavily banked on either of the first two options because the third one was absolutely not an option right now, and the last one just couldn't happen. She _wouldn't_ let it happen no matter what.

Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty.

Head tilt-chin lift.

First rescue breath. Second rescue breath.

Naru had always had the perfect timing when fainting from using his PK on his own. Like during Chiaki-senpai's case. Or the Yoshimi case. This time, his body—his _heart_ and _lungs_ , to be specific—chose to stop working in a traditional house on the outskirts of Kyoto. Unequipped with an automated external defibrillator. In the middle of _rush hour._

Though she wanted to cry her frustration out, she'd really rather use that energy to revive. This. Idiot. Twenty-nine. Thirty.

And once he was revived…

_What then?_

Head tilt-chin lift.

First rescue breath. Second rescue breath.

Naru let out a shuddering gasp.

Everyone released the collective breath they'd been holding. While Lin-san kept Naru reclined on his side and Mai monitored him, the rest of SPR burst into action: Ayako called the nearest hospital for updates on the ambulance; Bou-san and John concluded the investigation; Masako and Yasu updated the clients of Naru's status.

Mai observed him. His chest rose and fell in erratic rhythm, and his pulse tapped weakly against her finger. But a breath and a pulse—those were all she needed to be assured of his survival.

Adrenaline released its hold on her, and she allowed herself to slump sideward in exhaustion.

Lin-san started. "Taniyama-san!"

"I'm fine, Lin-san," she said, her attention never straying from Naru. He was just a few inches from her now. _So close_.

As she stared at his pallid face, the silent question returned: Once Naru revived, what would she do?

His eyes fluttered open. They gradually focused on hers.

"Naru."

Once he revived…

_I'll spend the rest of my life by his side, even if that meant being nothing more than his assistant forever._

She held his gaze, unheeding of the crescendo of sirens announcing the ambulance's arrival.

Even if she couldn't take his breath away, she damn well could return it to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A draft of this had actually been posted on [my Tumblr](https://dreams-of-kalopsia.tumblr.com/post/187533781423/i-performed-my-first-ever-cpr-on-a-dummy-this) some months ago, and back then I really thought I'd never get the time to continue this. I still have classes and requirements, but I get a bit more leeway now. Anyway, thanks for reading! ^u^ Please stay safe and continue to practice proper social distancing even if/when the quarantine is lifted. Take care!


	7. In awe, the first time he realized it

Was Naru for real? Designating someone on night shift the moment they step into the client’s apartment?

“Night shift?”

He gave her a quizzical look. “It’s already night. What else were you planning to do?”

Mai had expected this. Really, she’d resigned herself to it. Months and months of unapologetic inconsideration had worn down her fiery will to protest and call him ‘jerk’ in the most insulting way she could.

Nonetheless, her weariness escaped her in the form of a heavy sigh. “Right.”

“…You’re free to head back and return in the morning.”

She paused a bit before leaning forward to remove her shoes. Was he trying to be considerate _now_ after scheduling an investigation on a day she had six back-to-back classes? She shook her head wryly.

“It’s fine,” she said, forcing a smile and waving his offer away. “It’ll just be a waste of time and money.”

A conflicted reaction flashed on his face as she passed him, but it was so brief that she couldn’t be too sure. Well, it wasn’t like he had any reason to look conflicted or guilty or anything like that when he’d been doing the same thing ever since he collapsed in Kyoto: always starting cases on days she absolutely couldn’t take a leave.

“Alright. Stay awake all night after waking up early, six consecutive classes, and a very tiring commute. Understood, Boss.”

In her periphery, Mai saw him visibly stiffen and frown. “As I said, you’re—”

“—And as _I_ said, I’m not wasting more time and money than I already have.” She sensed the heat of a glare as she made her way to the room that served as their base but paid it no mind. It was nothing compared to the petty satisfaction that came with shutting him up for once.

Petty, yes, but it felt _great_.

After depositing her stuff in a corner of the base and greeting Lin-san with a friendly nod, she turned back to Naru, her nose slightly turned up. “Where should I start, Boss?”

A snippy briefing followed suit.

Unit 32A, situated in a relatively new high-rise mansion, had recently been acquired by their client. He worked as secretary to the previous owner, the CEO of his company. According to the client, the CEO’s daughter had lived in it until she graduated from college and that her four-year stay in the unit had been unremarkable in terms of supernatural events. He didn’t sense anything strange at the start, too, until he noticed that the sliding door connecting his bedroom to the balcony was always open by the time he woke up. He’d tried everything he could to stop it from opening—even had the door itself changed—but nothing worked.

Though he was starting to suspect something supernatural by then, he didn’t want to believe it, so he set up a camera to monitor the door overnight and prove himself wrong. The recorded video did the complete opposite. And that was how he’d come to consult SPR.

The relevant clip from the overnight recording was actually short. As the time on the screen stopped at 03:16:02:49, a very light, hazy form suddenly appeared from the right, moving straight towards the sliding door at the center. The lock rattled faintly before turning with a soft click. The door quietly slid open. Then the form faded as it entered the balcony. It only took around a minute and a half. Their client slept undisturbed on his bed throughout the video.

Mai hummed thoughtfully. “It’s a pretty straightforward case, isn’t it?” she commented.

“We still have to be cautious. It might not be as simple as you think,” Naru countered, arms crossed and still looking peeved.

She arched a brow at him. “I don’t sense anything hostile or dangerous in this apartment.” She turned to Lin-san. “What about you, Lin-san?”

He shook his head. “However, it’s best to reserve judgment until the time of apparition passes and more information is available.”

She nodded. It was _so easy_ to agree with someone when they were speaking in a civil way. “Do you think astral projection would help the investigation?”

“I won’t allow it,” Naru interjected, but she kept her expectant gaze on Lin-san.

Lin-san hesitated, clearly uncomfortable being put on the spot. “It’s an option…” he hedged.

“Lin.”

At the warning in Naru’s tone, and to her disappointment, he backtracked. “…But we should establish the presence of a spirit first, Taniyama-san.”

Mai tried not to pout. “Fine.” She had a feeling that this would be a long night. Just thinking about it worsened her fatigue.

* * *

The lone courtesy Naru had extended to her was the permission to do her homework and papers while waiting for the alleged spirit to manifest. But with all of them done or as finished as currently possible, she had nothing else to do. There wasn’t much to explore in the bare 2LDK apartment of their client, either. The video had apparently spooked him to the point of packing up and staying elsewhere until SPR had solved the case.

Mai stood up and stretched off the stiffness in her muscles.

“Bored, Taniyama-san?” A dry question from an unimpressed Naru.

She ignored his taunt in favor of sitting beside him to watch the video feed of the cameras within and leading to the client’s bedroom. All the monitors blinked 02:46:10 at the lower right corner. Hmm. Some tea should help keep them alert. “Want some tea?” she offered.

“It’s almost time.”

“There’s still _half an hour_ left. The time was recorded down to the _millisecond_.”

“We shouldn’t base everything on one video.”

She gave him the side-eye. “You would’ve let me astral project by now if you didn’t.”

No retort.

Ha. She shut him up again.

Another glare pricked her skin, but she didn’t give him the chance to retaliate. She immediately, albeit sluggishly, left for the kitchen.

The apartment was large, as expected of a unit in a high-end mansion. A hallway separated the lavatory and bathroom from the bedrooms. Beyond it was the equally long entranceway, which separated the storage room from the spacious room containing the living-dining area and the kitchen area sectioned off by a marble counter.

That meant that even though the base was right beside the living area, Mai had to go through two corridors to get to the kitchen.

Someone ought to commend her for her efforts to look after her boss and colleague. But since she had those two as her workmates, she knew that no one would.

“Whatever.” She pressed the light indicator of the electric water heater and focused on preparing three cups of tea.

As she waited for the water to boil, she approached the full-length windows that spanned one wall of the living-dining-kitchen area. City lights winked up at her like stars. Everything looked so small and far away from where she stood. It was a lonely but fascinating sight.

Abject loss crawled into her heart and nestled painfully there.

She was sleepy.

Or maybe her brain was just fuzzy from all the drinks she had downed. Sayaka-chan told her the alcohol would help with the grief, but all it did was make her so hot and lightheaded that she could hardly think about the fact that Kaa-san was—

Her stomach churned. Vomit blazed an acrid trail up her throat. She barely managed to clamp her hands over her mouth.

“Urgh…!”

Must hold it in; Sayaka-chan was still in the lavatory.

She decided to cool herself off in the meantime. Staggering to her feet and using the wall for support, she took clumsy steps towards the… um…

Her groggy eyes swept the living room until they found a door. It opened into a hallway with more doors. She scowled and picked the one on her left. When that door led her to more doors again, she went for the closest one. It didn’t open. She followed the wall to the next one. It revealed the access to the balcony she was looking for. She fumbled with the lock until she finally succeeded in opening the sliding door.

The crisp air of early spring cooled her down and sobered her up slightly. The sky above was a black canvas splattered with glittering stars, while the city below was a tranquil lake that reflected and amplified the heavenly lights.

Kaa-san said that when loved ones pass away they become the stars that illuminate the way home.

Of course, she was no longer a child who had yet to learn the science of space, but…

But maybe… if Kaa-san’s words held a grain of truth in them, and the dearly departed _were_ stars twinkling indecipherable messages of love and reassurance to those they had left behind…

A surge of desperation lifted her up the railing for a better view of the sky.

_Which one?_

She craned her neck, stretching to her full height.

_Which one is Kaa-san?_

_“Hina—!”_ “Mai!”

She turned towards the sound.

The movement tipped her over the railing.

Mai glimpsed _terror_ on Naru’s face as she began to fall. Her mouth opened to scream, but firm arms wound tightly around her waist before she could make a sound.

Naru grunted as he used his entire weight to counterbalance the force the earth exerted on her. She clung to him to reduce the effort needed to pull her back up.

They struggled against gravity. Seconds passed in an agonizing pace.

Eventually and finally, Mai teetered back to the safety of the balcony. They toppled to the floor.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder, coaxing her lungs to expand with full breaths and urging her heart to stop stuttering. Tension seeped out of her body little by little, but she didn’t let go of Naru.

“Thank—”

“I told you to stay awake!” His cold, sharp rebuke cut down any chance to argue or defend herself, so she didn’t. There were more pressing issues than correcting him, anyway.

“What happened?” she asked. “I’m sure I was just staring out the windows for a bit… It couldn’t have taken thirty minutes.”

“We were tricked by the spirit. No; we misinterpreted the time on the video.” He sounded furious. Was he mad at the spirit for playing a trick or at himself for failing to notice anything wrong? “If Yasuhara hadn’t called to report his discovery…” He didn’t finish, but she knew.

She would’ve _died_. The looming possibility made her shudder.

“B-But how could we misinterpret it? Didn’t Lin-san check for any signs of tampering…?” Rather than understanding, his fragmented explanations led her to further confusion. “You’ll have to explain from the beginning so I can follow. Starting with why you wouldn’t let me sleep or astral project.” A sneak attack, she was aware, but as far as she was concerned, the mystery of this case began with that.

His breathing paused.

Had they been farther apart from each other, she would’ve missed it. But his head was right beside hers and they sat chest to chest. He could invent a reason for his reluctance, but he had no valid excuse for his still pounding heart when hers had already calmed down.

“Will it help if I say I won’t get upset, whatever you tell me next?” she asked in the kindest, calmest tone she could muster and waited.

At length, a sigh tickled her ear.

“It was to prevent this exact scenario from happening.”

_Oh._

“You used psychometry, then.” No answer. Well, it wasn’t a question in the first place. “Are you okay?”

Naru scoffed. “I’m not the one who nearly died.”

“But you witnessed the spirit’s death,” she pressed.

“…I’m fine.”

Mai smiled in secret victory. “That’s a relief. And? The displayed time?”

“We took it for granted as her apparition time—presumably also her time of death. It turns out that we were only half right.” His voice turned colder. “Shiratori Hinako also thought to include her date of death: March sixteenth.”

“March sixteenth…” She gasped, pulling away to regard him with incredulous eyes. “Then the actual time she’d appear was—”

He nodded gravely. “Three minutes after you left to make tea.”

“Why didn’t you stop me the moment I got possessed?”

“We were just hearing from Yasuhara at that time.”

“Oh.” She exhaled, deflating in relief and exhaustion. Only one thing left to do with all this information at hand. “We can solve this case now.”

Naru’s brows instantly creased into a disapproving frown. “No.”

“It won’t be hard to convince her. We have similar circumstances,” she insisted, her hands bunching up his jacket as they clenched into fists. “I can do it.”

“I won’t let you.” His adamance riled her up.

“Why?”

“It’s dangerous. Did you forget what almost happened to you?”

“I would’ve guarded myself better if you’d just told me everything. You had half a day of head start; you must’ve already known so much about the case by the time I got here. Maybe I didn’t even have to come—” A bolt of realization struck her. “Was that... what you’d been doing… in all those cases you overlapped with days I had classes? Scout for intel on the spirits and history of the location to determine if I can handle the case?” Mai could hear her voice increase in volume and disbelief. Her speculation sounded _ridiculous_ , but now that she’d boarded this train of thought, it actually made sense. She hit Naru with a hard stare. It didn’t take long for him to avert his gaze.

Indignation sparked in her veins and burned down her fatigue.

“Are you underestimating me? Do you take me for a child who needs protection?” she demanded.

He wisely—or unwisely; she couldn’t tell yet—stayed quiet.

“What exactly have you been doing these past few months?”

He kept his gaze away from her.

“What did you even come back for?”

Another silence, but it didn’t deter her.

“Did you come back just to mess around?”

He still held his tongue.

Every silence aggravated her agitation, pushing her into asking the question that had been stuck in her mind ever since she first heard from Mori-san of his plan to return.

“Did you—” She inhaled sharply, inflating her lungs with air and courage before they could collapse in nervousness. “Did you come back for me?” It was the one question she wanted— _needed_ —him to answer, the one question that sustained the hope in her heart no matter how many times he pushed her away.

One word from him, and she’d give up completely. She held her breath.

Just one word…

But even that, he wouldn’t grant her. His expression gave nothing away.

Mai hung her head in dismay and released a long, deep sigh. The action extinguished all remaining hope and expectation within her, hidden in the corners of her mind. Stowed safely at the bottom of her heart. Weaved into the time she’d spent waiting. She chuckled ruefully. If she didn’t, she’d definitely break down and cry in front of him again. “Reject me already, Naru.”

He stilled against her clenched fists. His first response after the barrage of questions she’d hurled at him.

“If you wanted data, you could’ve stayed at home or gone to any other English-speaking country. You didn’t have to go all the way here. If you didn’t come back for me, then give me the closure you should’ve given me three years ago. Reject me now.” She let go of him and moved to distance herself.

Her attempt was met with resistance; the arms she’d forgotten were wrapped around her kept her in place.

She looked up at him then.

Tentative eyes met hers. “…What if I can’t?” he asked quietly. His question stopped her. It seemed to stop the entire world. “What if I don’t want to?” His next question was quieter still, and he looked more hesitant. Scared. _Pained_.

A stark contrast—the _polar opposite_ of the effect his queries had on her. The disappointment, insecurity, and uncertainty that had shackled her for two years fell away with just two questions. Her wait had been justified.

And yet, despite all the hints she’d dropped for him, it was obvious he hadn’t formed the correct conclusion. He probably hadn’t formed one _at all_.

Her heart danced in fond mirth.

This idiot, idiot scientist.

She really should help him.

“Then I’ll promise you two things.

“First, I promise to send the spirit to the afterlife and return safely.” She paused, waiting for his acknowledgment.

After a beat, “…What’s the other one?”

“I promise I’ll make you happy.”

His scared and pained expression slowly shifted. His eyes widened in pure awe and astonishment, lips parted in a silent gasp. It was as if he’d just made a life-changing discovery.

She supposed he had. Maybe he finally found out that the answers he sought were right in front of him all along.

When his hands slid up to cradle her face, Mai placed hers over them and beamed adoringly at him.

Under the gentle light of the moon and stars, Naru glowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um. Time kind of warped. I'm terribly sorry for not updating for so long. TTnTT I've struggled with this chapter for years. So many versions. OTL Thank you for sticking with this fic and waiting patiently. I really wouldn't have been able to continue writing if it weren't for you guys. I hope you're all safe and healthy.
> 
> A [2LDK apartment](https://resources.realestate.co.jp/living/what-is-a-2ldk-apartment-real-estate-japans-word-of-the-day/) is one that has 2 bedrooms and a common Living, Dining, and Kitchen area.
> 
> Sayaka: "vivid flower" || Shiratori: "white bird" || Hinako: "sun child"


	8. Too quick, mumbled into his scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double update? In MY fic? It's more likely than you think. XD This update and chapter is dedicated to the lovely [Nollypoo](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/693064/Nollypoo). ^u^  
> For any reader who hasn't read the [GH sequel](https://spr.dreamwidth.org/), ['Akumu no Sumu Ie'](https://mangadex.org/title/6301), please do! A character from that sequel will be mentioned in this chapter.

**April 20th, 2 Years Ago**

_The freshness that spring unfurled a few months ago had begun to wilt with summer inching its way closer._

_However, a certain chill lingered in the pre-dawn air as Mai and Naru closed SPR for what devastatingly felt like the last time. There was a static of tense anticipation, too, like dark clouds covering the sky and threatening with silent flashes of lightning. The calm before a storm._

_Mai thought it perfectly described the aftermath of the trial of Gene’s murderer. The case spanned only a few weeks from the arrest to the trial; a written confession and Gene’s passport and wallet left no room for reasonable doubt. Even if she didn’t know all the specifics, she could tell that Naru had played his cards really, really well. Or maybe ‘made those indebted to him repay the favor tenfold’ was more accurate? He did work Hirota-san to the bone, after all._

_Her lips curled up a bit despite her melancholy mood. Hirota-san prepared all available testimonies and evidence, ensuring that they were enough for prosecution. He’d looked so haggard but motivated at the time; he must’ve been secretly happy that he was given a significant job as a prosecution official of the Zero Unit. Though he was an inflexible and difficult person in general, his hard work produced the results that Naru required._

_A murder case tried on paranormal grounds and ending with a conviction had shocked the country. It gained media traction as a result._

_Naturally, Naru’s true identity was also dragged into the spotlight. Now he had to fly home way too early in the morning just to avoid the media and the people seeking his aid as a psychometrist._

_In the first place, it perplexed her how someone who only cared about retrieving his brother’s corpse for dissection would care enough to hunt down the woman who killed his brother. Was it Naru’s sense of justice? His hidden desire to avenge Gene? To ensure his safety while in Japan? Did he think it would put Gene to rest and allow him to pass on to the afterlife?_

_The one time she asked, Naru had answered with a simple “She asked for it.”_

_Her mood dipped further. She never expected him to return to Cambridge after six months. She was so sure he’d stay much longer this time, thought that he decided to stay because he liked working with everyone. A small but stubborn part of her even thought that he’d grown attached to them somehow. But maybe he only really stayed to put Gene’s murderer in jail, no matter how light the woman’s sentence was._

_Mai couldn’t help but heave a disappointed sigh._

_“You should have slept in if you’ll just keep yawning anyway.”_

_She sneaked a peek at Naru on their way to the parking lot where Lin-san waited with a hired taxi. He didn’t look the least bit bothered that he was_ leaving _. “I’m not sleepy. I’m sad.”_

_He glanced at her. “What’s there to be sad about? Everything’s settled now.”_

_That bland reply made her sigh again. “You just don’t get it.”_

_“You’re sad you won’t see Gene anymore.” He said it so surely, almost impatiently, that she had a strong urge to sigh a third time. Really, this guy. Did everything have to be about Gene?_

_“Well, him, too. But I was actually talking about you.”_

_It took her a few seconds to notice the lack of footsteps accompanying hers. Confused, she stopped walking and turned around. “Naru?”_

_“—Me?” Though nearly obscured by the loose scarf tied around his neck and the artificial light pouring down from surrounding lampposts, she could make out the surprise that colored his features._

_“Yeah, you. I’ll miss working with you. And the generous pay. And probably your annoying sarcasm, too?” She chuckled at his raised brow, if only to shake off the slight embarrassment that came with her honesty. “Believe it or not, I’ll miss_ you _, Naru. I hope you and Lin-san could come back once the public’s interest in you dies down. Then we’ll all hunt ghosts again,” she finished with a hopeful tone._

_He didn’t respond._

_Still, she refused to give up. “I’ll wait for you until then.”_

_An expression she didn’t recognize took over Naru’s surprise. Eventually, his lips moved to say something, but a sudden gust of wind carried the words away._

_Her brows furrowed. Her instinct told her that he’d just said something very important and that she shouldn’t miss it. “What did you say? The wind…”_

_His face returned to its usual stoic indifference. “I said do what you want.”_

_That wasn’t it, she knew, but since he’d resumed walking and they were nearing the taxi, she didn’t have a chance to push him for the right one. Her heart sank._

_It was the only goodbye she’d get from him, and he still lied at the end._

_A final wave at Naru and Lin-san, and they were gone again._

_She didn’t hear from either of them for days._

* * *

_Days grouped into weeks._

_Weeks clustered into months._

_Masako and Yasu started dating. Bou-san and his band released their first full-length album._

_Months slowly formed a year._

_The charity clinic John helped maintain received a huge donation from a wealthy churchgoer. Ayako got engaged but changed her mind._

_Mai’s world broadened as she entered college._

_She exchanged emails occasionally with Mori-san and twice with Lin-san. No reply ever came from Naru._

_Time had passed, and her life had changed, but everything remained vivid in her memory. From the day she saw through Naru’s fake smile as he asked her friends about rumors surrounding their old school building, up until the time he stood before her with his unreadable expression and final words._

_Like his interest in dissecting genuine psychics, she took an interest in dissecting moments, actions, words both said and unsaid. The process gave her insight into the events that brought about the establishment of the Society for Psychical Research’s incognito Japanese branch. It helped her understand where she fit into the narrative and how she felt about all of it._

_In time, she was able to gather all the pieces of information she needed to solve the puzzle that was Oliver Davis._

_And she finally figured out his silent message to her, that chilly spring day._

“It’s better to forget about me.”

_His advice reached her too late, though. Because she no longer could. She just couldn’t._

_Not when he’d looked so torn while saying it._

_So Mai kept waiting, hoping that when—or_ if _—Naru returns, it would be for her._


End file.
